Monkey bars
by LoveMeThatsAllIAskOfYou
Summary: Reid is sinking and fast. Is there anyone to help him?  Round 3 fanfiction challenge. :


**Here is my entry for the 3rd fanfiction challange My pair was Reid/Prentiss with monkey bars, strawberry milkshake, hobbits. **

**Enjoy! **

Spencer sat at his desk; it had only been 7 months since he was kidnapped and tortured by the hands of one Tobias Hankel. With that being said, it had only been 5 hours since they arrived back from New Orleans. He felt bad for missing the plane, but at the same time he felt he was losing himself. He sat there in the BAU bullpen looking at Emily Prentiss' empty desk; he had been unnecessarily rude to her the past few weeks. The reason, well there really wasn't one; he couldn't tell anyone why he was being so short with her. He was angry with Elle for not being strong enough to stay; he was just getting close to her and now here is Ms. Emily Prentiss, who is even more inviting and more like him. The fear of getting close, letting her in, is too much. He watched Penelope walk into the room to grab Derek and take him out their weekly dinners, Hotch had a family; JJ had Will even if she thought no one knew they had hit it off. That left him, Gideon and Prentiss. He wanted a friendship like Pen and Derek's, someone who would always be there, someone who could pick up on things when he was trying to hide it. He wanted someone to notice he was slipping further and further. He wanted a reason…to stop the drugs. He needed it; he needed the drugs more than he ever needed anything in his life.

He got up from his desk and started towards the bathroom, he needed his relief. He put his hand on the doorknob, while someone put their hand on his shoulder.

"Reid, don't do it."

He turned around to see none other than Emily Prentiss, standing with her hands on her hips and a determined expression on her face.

"You and I are taking a trip." She said while grabbing his arm and dragging him through the building and to her car.

He didn't say anything after she basically threw him in the passenger seat of her refurbished 1972 Barracuda convertible. He watched as the other cars passed them and became more and more confused as he no longer recognized where they were. The confusion curve hit the plateau when she pulled into the parking lot of an empty playground. He turned to her and spoke for the first time,

"Uh, Prentiss, what are we doing here? Last time I checked we are adults and there isn't a need for a playground. What game are you playing?"

She looked over at him and tried to put her hand over his but he pulled it away.

"I am worried about you Spencer. I know that I've only known you a 7 months but I care about you. The drugs are getting the best of you."

He looked at her enraged, "Why would you think I'm doing drugs Emily, just because he gave them to me when I was kidnapped doesn't mean I'm doing them now"

She let out a huge sigh. He sank back into the soft black leather seat and looked out the passenger side window.

"Spencer, it's easy to see that they are when I have been through it myself. I know the feeling when the need for the drug overpowers the will to sleep, eat or move. I know what it feels like to almost lose everything just to get some sort of satisfaction for just a moment. I will not sit back and watch you lose your job and your life just because Tobias had to transfer his vice to you. I don't know why but I care way too damn much to let you walk down my path."

He looked into her clouded eyes and saw sincerity. He whispered, "Emily"

"When you are traveling from country to country and leave any friends you have made, you'll do anything to fit in." she paused and looked away from him, "and I mean anything. I smoked, I drank, I had sex. I was just being a normal teenage girl right? When I left Italy, nothing felt right and that's when I started heroin. While in Rome I got pregnant and in the end I choose to have an abortion. My friend Michael took me and held my hand the whole time. My parents found out and were ashamed of me and decided to move to another country before the word got out. "

Spencer put her arm around her and pulled her into him as she cried; he knew it was his turn to speak.

"Emily, the entire time I was out, I would remember things about my past. I remembered the many times my mother would read to me. I also remembered the day my father walked out on us. I always thought that it was my fault and sometimes I still do. When I take it, I don't feel the pressure, I don't feel so abnormal. I don't feel like some crazy hobbit."

That got a small chuckle out Emily, he looked down at her and his breathe hitched. She was so beautiful.

"Spencer Reid, if you think you can be compared to hobbits then you are sadly mistaken. You are a very handsome, sweet man who will one day be able to handle with all that was put on his plate. "

He looked into her eyes again; her head was still on his shoulder, he didn't want her to ever move from this spot. He saw this fragile side of her that he doubted many people saw. The fact she trusted him enough to tell her deepest secrets, completely comforted him. They sat like that for a few more minutes before she stirred.

"So, Dr. Reid, the entire reason I brought you here was because when I moved back to the US, I went back to the first school I ever attended, where I met my best friend Stacy. Stacy and I would spend hours on the playground; she was going to be an Olympic gymnast and was always playing on the monkeybars. I walked around to the playground and started to cross them over and over. After a while, I just let go and dropped to the wood chips and began laughing. I felt free for the first time in a long time. So, are you ready? We are going to go play on the mokeybars."

Spencer looked at playground and back at Emily, with an expression asking if she was serious. When she started to pull him towards the slides and swing sets he whined

"Why can't you be the girl who just needs a strawberry milkshake to be happy. The closest McDonald's is up the street!"

She pulled him close to her and put her hands around him and looked into his eyes.

"Just trust me, Genio. I care deeply for you, and it scares me but just trust me"

"Genio?" He asked hesitantly.

Emily laughed a little, "It is Italian for genius, I thought you'd know that, being a genius and all."

Spencer leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you Emily."

"The road is going to be tough but I know you can do it. Just remember, come to me if you feel like you can't handle it. I will help. For now, lets go play on the playground. Last one to the swingset buys strawberry milkshakes on the way back."

She took off running and he barely registered to follow. This was the beginning of a very bumpy road for Spencer but he now had Emily, the best buffer in the world.


End file.
